Apology
by Mr. KP
Summary: After Naruto's mission to retrieve the Bikochu bug alongside Team 8 fails, he feels particularly bad for Hinata, who went out of her way to get that mission. He decideds to find her and aplogize. NarutoxHinata


Hinata Hyuga breathed in deeply, inhaling the sweet smell of flowers and fresh grass from the field she sat in. It was a beautiful sunny day in Konoha, and for once there was no pressing issues, no foreign land trying to take over, and with her sensei, Kurenai, injured, training was postponed for the moment. Hinata just enjoyed the warmth that the sun brought her, her beautiful lavender eyes half closed in relaxation. However, that relaxation was about to become very short lived.

"Hey Hinata! Hinata! Over here, it's me!" shrieked a young ninja with blonde hair and glaringly orange attire. It was Konoha's self proclaimed future Hokage himself, Naruto Uzumaki. He was dashing through the large trees surrounding the small field, and he landed with much bravado in front of the raven-haired girl. Right on schedule, Hinata's pale cheeks suddenly turned red slightly, and her eyes turned towards the ground slightly, not really comfortable enough yet to look her crush in the eyes.

"O-oh, hello, Naruto! How are you, um, feeling today?" Hinata asked, pushing her index fingers together, another nervous tick that only Naruto could bring out.

"I'm feeling fine, ya know, aside from the bruises, heh heh!" Naruto laughed, pointing to his rather swollen left eye and cheek. Hinata gasped upon seeing this, having not noticed them until he pointed it out.

"Oh, your face! What happened?" she queried, actually concerned.

"Well, ya see, Sakura found out about the Bikochu thing, and really let me have it! That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, Hinata, 'cause…well, I'm sorry." Naruto sighed, rubbing the back of his head shyly. Hinata cocked her head to the right, now feeling brave enough to look Naruto in his ocean eyes.

"Naruto, there's nothing to be s-sorry about, it was just a, well, u-um, an…" Hinata stammered, not really wanting to bring up what happened. Team 8, along with Naruto, had gone to retrieve a bug that would be able to track the scent from Naruto's missing teammate, Sasuke Uchiha. However, the bug was rare, and they had to catch it as it made a new larva, lest they wait another year. After a struggle with a bug-oriented ninja group, the group finally retrieved the bug, but just as the larva hatched, Naruto, struggling to reach the headband, broke wind, dooming the bug to catch the smell of his flatulence. They had failed, when they had come so close.

"No, really, let me take the blame. I feel really bad especially 'cause Shino told me how you really fought to convince him and Kiba to do the mission. You did so great, too, and I messed it up." Naruto admitted, now choosing to take a seat next to Hinata in the grass, making her blush go up twofold. She gently moved slightly further away, gulping as she did. She was surprised, since Naruto, especially when he failed, was smiling bright as can be as soon as he could.

"N-Naruto, it's really okay. I'm, um, like you. Even when I fail, I'll just get back up and try even harder the next time!" she assured, her soft voice clearly twinged with emotion as she said it. Naruto grinned his very cheeky grin, looking more like his regular self.

"Heh, looks like you weren't kidding when you said that a while back." He cackled, starting to feel better already. Hinata, noticing him brightening up, smiled too.

"That's more like the Naruto I know and l-" Hinata stuttered, catching the "ove" before it came out. Unfortunately, this caused her to blush more, and she lowered her head to try and cover the now very obvious blush.

"Huh?" Naruto questioned, confused at the sudden cut off. _"Guess this is just Hinata being, well, Hinata again…"_

There was a bit of an awkward silence between the two, Naruto just scratching his head and Hinata poking her fingers together. Getting antsy, Naruto decided to break the silence.

"Hinata?"

Hinata immediately poked her head up. "Uh, yes Naruto?"

"Shino also said something else…"

"Yes?"

"He said that you were trying to prove yourself…to me."

Hinata froze. _"Shino! Why couldn't you have just left it alone?"_ She didn't say anything, or, more accurately, couldn't, as her words seem to be running into each other in her throat.

"I…um, well, it's not exactly like that, it's more of…oh no…" She shifted her knees up and buried her head in them, feeling like her head was going to explode from all the blood rushing to it.

Naruto, getting puzzled, rolled to his knees and looked at her, concerned.

"Hinata, I was just gonna say that you don't have to prove anything to me…I think you're the best kunoichi here, believe it!" he cried, giving her a big thumbs up. Hinata squeaked a bit, then looked up at him, tears quickly beginning to form.

"R-really, Naruto? She sniffled, quickly reaching up to clear the tears away from her sparkling eyes.

"Yeah, of course! I mean, that 68 palms thing that you did against all those bees? I'd like to see Ino or Tenten do that! You even got yourself out of that sticky stuff when I couldn't. That's really something!" he explained, poorly mimicking her special move, causing her to giggle with delight.

"Naruto, that means…that means so much to me. Thank you!" she exclaimed, a big smile now illuminating her face. Naruto laughed at that.

"Wow, I don't see you smile much at all, Hinata. We really need to fix that." He laughed, not even thinking of the possibility that that might sound like flirting. Hinata, however, couldn't help but think of it that way, and now she started to feel lightheaded. However, even though she felt this way, she could not believe that she was even spending time alone with the person she truly cared about. She decided that if Naruto was going to say those nice things about her, it was only fair to return the favor.

"N-Naruto…"

Naruto stopped laughing, but kept up his cheesy grin. "What's up, Hinata?"

Hinata scrunched up the toughest little face she could, and with determination she said, "Don't worry, I know if anyone can find Sasuke, it's you. We may have failed this time, but next time, I know that you'll try your hardest to succeed, and as long as you do that, you'll find him!" she cried, looking him dead in the eyes. Naruto looked genuinely touched, but he still resorted to his usual jokes.

"Yeesh, Hinata, where was this energy during the Chunnin Exams? Neiji would've been running home if you were this intense." He boasted, trying to avoid the conversation about Sasuke, if he could. He stood back up, stretching his arms wide. Hinata just laughed again and blushed more, hoping this day would last forever.

"Ya know Hinata, we need to train together. I mean, you have some of the best defensive jutsu's I've ever seen. You've gotta teach me some of that stuff!" he said, starting to wonder if she was sick by how red her face was.

Hinata was blown away. Naruto, train with her? She'd be more than happy to help him…but could she handle it? That was the bigger question…

"Naruto, I'd really, um, really like to train with you." She wheezed, trying to hold herself together.

Naruto suddenly lit up. "Really! Wow, thanks!" he exclaimed, suddenly leaning forward and patting her on the head. That did it. Hinata cried out slightly, then slumped forward, entering sweet, sweet unconsciousness. Naruto winced and began shaking her, trying to wake her up.

"Hey, Hinata, wake up! Aw, geez…she really needs to take some medicine or something if she's feeling sick." He sighed, gently easing her into a laying position. Naruto had never noticed it before, but Hinata's face, from the angle he was looking at it, seemed really…pretty. He'd always thought Sakura had the best face of all the female ninjas, but his heartstrings suddenlyy felt a twang the minute he looked at Hinata's sleeping form. However, he quickly shook it off, though, and began to lie down beside her, not wanting to leave her alone unconscious. He fished in his pants pocket for a second, then came up with what he was looking for: two free coupons for a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku's Ramen Shop. He'd wanted to have lunch with Hinata as his way of apologizing. He realized that Hinata forgave him already, but he was getting hungry, and he was sure fainting wasn't good for the appetite.

"_Guess it'll have to be a late lunch for two, then!"_


End file.
